This invention relates to the field of modular concrete interlocking blocks for use in gravity retaining walls, sound and privacy fences and for erosion control, and in particular to a modular concrete building block system wherein two basic profiles for the building blocks provide for improved interlocking flexibility.
The prior art is replete with interlocking block designs and systems for modularly constructing retaining walls. For example, applicant is aware of the following United States Patents commonly assigned to Anchor Wall System, Inc.: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,113,318; 5,795,105; 5,709,062; 5,704,183; and 5,490,363 all of which entitled Composite Masonry Block and directed to a masonry block which includes back legs directed outwardly from the blocks back surface, wherein the block is shaped so that the blocks may be stacked to provide an interlocking structure by the protrusions of one block fitting into the insets of another block.
Applicant is for example also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,492 which issued to Meheen for A Method and Apparatus for Anchoring Backfilled Wall Structures in which is taught the use of a plurality of elements which may be used as either retaining wall panels or tie-backs, each element having a neck at either end, the neck having opposing concave surfaces for mating with the convex surface of each end of an adjacent element.
Other prior art of which applicant is aware is listed in an Information Disclosure Statement filed herewith and incorporated by way of reference. None of the prior art of which applicant is aware teaches or suggests the advantages of the use of the interlocking I-profile blocks according to the present invention as better described below.
In summary, the modular wall or fence construction system according to the present invention for construction of walls, fences, buildings, etc., includes at least first and second I-profile blocks, each having an I-shape in planform in the sense that four corners, each having a rib-key, are held rigidly apart as the corners of a virtual quadrilateral by the waisted framework of an I or X profile block, or a combination of such shapes. As used herein such waisted profiles are collectively referred to as I-profile blocks or as blocks having an I-shape. The I-shape may be defined by a parallel pair of flanges across opposite ends of a web extending between the flanges. The I-profile blocks have generally planar and parallel upper and lower surfaces and a uniform vertical height. The flanges may form a parallelogram relative to the web, that is, they may be angularly offset relative to the web or may be orthogonal to the web or at least a vertical plane of symmetry of the web where the web is other than planar, for example where the combination of web and flanges is xe2x80x9c)(xe2x80x9d-shaped or xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d-shaped, or xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d-shaped, or xe2x80x9cHxe2x80x9d-shaped.
Each of the flanges of the first and second I-profile blocks have radiused rib keys formed in opposite parallel edges of the flanges. The edges are distal on the flanges relative to the web. A first pair of the radiused rib keys are a pair of convex rails along the parallel edges on a first side of the web. A second pair of the radiused rib keys are a pair of concave channels along the parallel edges on a second side of the web opposite the first side of the web. Each flange has oppositely disposed, on opposite edges, one convex rail and one concave channel. The web of the first I-profile blocks may advantageously be longer than the web of the second I-profile blocks. The flanges of the first I-profile blocks may, advantageously, be substantially identical. On the second I-profile blocks one of the flanges may be a wider flange wider than the other flange; the narrower flange. Thus, the radiused rib keys for the wider flange are spaced laterally further apart than the radiused rib keys for the narrower flange. In one aspect of the invention the I-profile might be changed to a T-profile, that is, a profile having a web and a single flange, so that the profile only has one pair of concave and convex rib-keys.
An adjacent pair of the first and second I-profile blocks may be interlocked to form a rotatable joint. The joint is rotatable in one degree of freedom during construction of the wall or fence by cupped mating of one convex rail of one of the adjacent pair of I-profile blocks with a corresponding concave channel of the other of the adjacent pair of I-profile blocks.
The webs of the first and second I-profile blocks may include a longitudinally spaced apart array of parallel bores extending vertically into the web for receiving elongate locking pegs snugly journalled therein so as to leave one end of the pegs protruding from the bore. The bores may extend through the entire height of the longitudinal webs. The arrays may lie in a vertical plane of symmetry of the blocks. At least one lateral bore may extend laterally through the webs.
The pair of flanges on each I-profile block may have oppositely disposed finished outer surfaces, generally orthogonal to the webs, so that each of the I-profile blocks may be reversed end-for-end and still project a finished outer surface outwardly of a finished side of the wall or fence being constructed.
The system of the present invention may further include a corner block having, when viewed in planform, at least three spaced apart corners forming therebetween generally a right triangle. Again, the block may have a uniform vertical height. The corners are advantageously formed as three parallel the radiused rib keys. The s three the radiused rib keys may include a vertically and oppositely disposed concave channel and first convex rail pair at two of the three corners, and a second convex rail at a third of the three corners. The corner blocks may be generally rectangular and define an open core extending vertically therethrough. The open core may be partly solidly filled by a solid portion adjacent one of the three corners. At least one array of spaced apart holes may be formed vertically in the solid portion for receiving locking pegs snugly mounted therein.